With Fay Winroy to set him up for a certain time-a good dark night-it would be a cinch. I could stand there at the door and watch until he went by, and then…
It was too much pie. It was so good that I couldn't make up my mind whether I liked it.
I sauntered on down the street, turning in at the bar across from the house. I ordered an ale, and sat down.
Kendall. Was he just a nice old busybody, a man who'd taken a fancy to me like a lot of elderly people had, or had The Man got to him? I couldn't make up my mind about him. Twice now, well, three times, I'd thought I'd had him figured. And each time, even now, right after he'd practically told me where he stood and handed me the deal on a platter, I began to doubt my figuring. I still wasn't sure.
He just didn't fit the part. No matter what he said or did, I just couldn't hold a picture of him as a guy who'd get mixed up in a gang murder. And yet… well, you see? That was what made him an almost sure-fire bet. If-if The Man was a little leery of me, if he did have an ace in the hole-little old man Kendall would be his boy. It would have to be him or someone like him.
I kicked it around in my mind, pulling myself first one way then the other… Whatever he was, Kendall was a long way from being stupid. He wouldn't do the job himself, assuming that it was something that an amateur could handle. He wouldn't work with me as an accomplice. He'd handle his end without doing a thing that could be pinned on him. And if I didn't handle mine, if! fell down on the job or screwed it up…
I didn't like to think about it. Because if I fell down or screwed it up, I'd never live to fumble another one. Maybe I wouldn't, anyway, but I'd have a chance. I'd done the vanishing act before, and I'd stayed hidden for more than six years. But with Kendall keeping tabs on me-if he was-with him tipping off The Man the moment I went sour on the deal or it went sour on me…
Huh-uh. The Man didn't take excuses, He didn't let you quit. I wouldn't run far enough to work up a sweat.
I bought another ale. So what if it was that way? I'd agreed to do the job, and as long as I did it I'd be all right. Since that was the way things stood, what difference did it make about Kendall?
It made plenty. It showed that The Man didn't trust me-and it wasn't good when The Man didn't trust you. It was either that or he was leery of the job-and that wasn't good either. The Man didn't operate on hunches. If he was leery, he had good reason to be.
I wondered what he'd say if I asked him point-blank about Kendall. And I didn't need to wonder long about it; I was through wondering almost before I began.
He'd laugh it off. He'd put his arm around my shoulder and tell me how much he liked me… and that would be the beginning of a damned fast end. He'd have to get rid of me. He'd be afraid not to. Afraid I might be getting panicky or worrying about a double-cross.
I finished my ale, and started out of the bar. Just as I reached the door, Pay Winroy came in.
"Oh, there you are, hon-" she caught herself. "I thought you might be over here. The sher- there's someone at the house to see you."
She drew me outside, lowering her voice. "It's the sheriff, honey. Maybe you'd better go on over by yourself, and I'll stay here for a drink."
"All right," I said. "Thanks for hunting me up."
"Carl" -she looked at me anxiously-"are you sure that everything's all right? Is there anything that-?"
"Not a thing," I said. "Why?"
"Nothing. No reason. He said it was all right, but-"
"Yeah?" I said.
"He acts so funny about it, Carl. So… so awfully funny-"
7
He was waiting for me in the living room. When I came in, he eased himself up out of his chair a few inches, as though he was planning on shaking hands. Then, he let himself down again, and I sat down across from him.
"I'm sorry I kept you waiting," I said. "I've been down at the bakery lining up a part-time job."
"Uh-hah," he nodded. "Miss Ruth told me she thought you might be there, but you was already gone when I stopped by. Got you a job, eh?"
"Yes, sir," I said. "I haven't started to work yet, but-"
"Uh-hah. You're plannin' on staying here, then? Going to school and all."
"Why, yes," I said. "That's why I came here."
"Uh-hah, sure," he drawled again. "Well, I hope it works out all right. We got a nice little town here. Nice little college. We'd like to keep it that way."
I frowned at him, looking him straight in the eye. "I don't particularly like it here, sheriff," I said. "In fact, I wish I'd never seen your town or your college. But now that I'm here I plan on staying. And if you can think of any reason why I shouldn't, perhaps you'd better tell me."
He swallowed heavily. He wasn't used to being talked to that way. "Didn't say there was any reason, did I? Maybe you better tell me if you can think of any."
I didn't even bother to answer him.
He cleared his throat, uncomfortably. After a moment, his glance wavered and he gave me a sheepish grin. "Pshaw," he mumbled. "Now how the heck did I ever get started talkin' to you that-a-way? Must be I had to hold in the good news I had for you so long it kinda clabbered on me. Ever have that happen to you? You got somethin' nice to pass on to a fella, and when you can't find him-"
"Good news?" I said. "What good news?"
"The answers to them wires I sent to Arizona, Don't know when I've seen so many good things said about a man. Looked like the judge an' the chief o' police was trying to outdo each other."
"They're very fine gentlemen," I said.
"Must be. Don't see how they could be anything else," he nodded firmly. "And with two high-placed people like that speakin' up for you, I don't see-"
"Yes?" I said.
"Nothin'. Just sort of talkin' to myself, more or less. Kind of a bad habit of mine." He stood up, slapping his hat against the side of his pants. "Let's see, now. You was saying you planned on running into the city this weekend?"
"Tomorrow or Saturday," I said. "If it's all right."
"Sure, sure it's all right. You just go right ahead."
He put out his hand, and gave mine a firm hard grip.
I went upstairs and my head had hardly touched the pillows before Fay Winroy slipped into the room.
"Carl. Was it-what did he want?"
"Nothing much." I moved over on the bed to let her sit down, "Just came to tell me that I'd gotten a clean bill from Arizona."
"Oh? But he acted so strange, Carl. I thought-"
"How about it?" I said. "You didn't give him a bad time when he came here looking for me,"
"N-no." She hesitated. "I mean, naturally I don't like cops hanging around with their cars parked in front of the house, but-well, I'm sure I didn't say anything out of the way."
I wouldn't have bet money on it. "I don't imagine Kendall liked having him come to the bakery, either," I said. "That must have been the trouble. The guy had his feelings hurt."
"You can't think of anything else?"
I shrugged. "I don't know what it would be. How did you make out with Jake?"